Blog Herding: Community Edition 06/27/13

Not since Bioshock: Infinite have we witnessed a game
draw in huge crowds of gamers like The Last of Us. The game was the subject of numerous blogs and user reviews this week with
some of them being featured here. If you're not a fan of the game or tired of
reading about it there is plenty of other content to choose from.

Extra
Life 2013 – Team GIOA Public Service Announcement reminding viewers that Zachary
Pligge is the coordinator for Team GIO and this year's Extra Life charity event
scheduled for November 02, 2013. Contact him for all of the details.

Community Blogs:

Square
Enix: Big Franchises And Big Financial LossDespite releasing a few big
titles recently, Square Enix is reporting some financial struggles that has LetMeGetToACheckpoint
concerned about the future of the Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy series.

Finding
Your Target AudienceMecha Turkey shares an
interesting perspective on video game genres and how the traditional
understanding of the concept shouldn't be used to target specific games towards
a particular audience.

New
Challengers Approaching!Nintendo surprised Super Smash
Bros. fans by revealing some of the characters in the next game would include
Villager, Mega Man, and the Wii Fit Trainer. GoldvsSilver adds others he'd like
to see.

Top
5 Pokémon GenerationsWith the release of Pokémon X
and Y getting closer, VannahfoxTheTriforceWielder reflects on the previous
generations of a franchise that has literally captivated gamers of all ages.

When
Will The Wow Factor Be Gone?The Destroyer wonders if there
will ever be a time when big game announcements or revelations don't elicit an
excited response from the audience, especially from major trade show events.

Take
My Privacy, Please.With real-world news focusing
on the NSA and its PRISM surveillance program, AbsoluteDeicide tackles the
often-contentious topic of security and how it relates to next-generation
consoles with finesse.

5
"Metroidvania" Games That Got It RightHalf the list you normally get
from thegodofwine7 but still a great collection, this time focusing on some of
his favorite games borrowing features from the Metroid and Castlevania series.

Five
Classic Games The Wii U Eshop NeedsJack Treese dreams of classic
Nintendo games from years gone by, like the original Star Fox on SNES, and how he'd like to see them in Nintendo's
eShop and available for play on the Wii U's virtual console.

Chrono
Trigger – Sans NostalgiaTimothy Repasky revisits one of
the great classics with this blog about Chrono Trigger as he evaluates how well
the game's reputation has withstood the years and follow-on role-playing games
since then.

The
Last Of Us And Devotion To CraftKyle Wadsworth works his magic
with words and images as he explores The Last of Us with great prose and
professionalism in a piece worth publishing in the pages of Game Informer
magazine.

My
Top Ten Nintendo 64 GamesWith different consoles and
generations of gamers who have played a Nintendo game at some point in their
life it's always a treat to look back at some of the best, like this post from Eric
Watson does.

Combined
Top 10 Shooter Games!Shooters: Whether you love them
or hate them, there is no denying there are plenty to choose from and people
have their favorites. TheSniper highlights ten of his chosen first- and third-person shooters.

A
Kungfu Panda Of A Ninja GameMark of the
Ninja was praised by many for the way it implemented stealth mechanics into the
game, but that wasn't enough to save it from the mediocre score Paradigmthefallen
awarded it.

Out
Of Hope, And Better For ItThere were
plenty of reviews pouring in this week for The Last of Us, but this one from jackson
stone is one of the bests, offering just enough details to intrigue you without
spoiling any vital story elements.

A
Beautiful ApocalypseThe Last of
Us has accumulated perfect scores from numerous industry journalists and fans
alike, adding another 10 out of 10 score from OG NIK, who claims its one of the
greatest games ever.

Don't forget to send your feedback, recommendations, and
community events in to my personal Game Informer account located here to
ensure this feature continues to provide the content you're eager to read.